Chemistry associate professor
“Start thinking about what they would love to do. … Graduating with a bachelor’s degree is a milestone but what comes next will, basically, define their career. … Try to attend career fairs, go online and start exploring career options. … So, even if they don’t have a real job, they should try to volunteer, do community service, work on research after graduating, maybe do grad school. Most graduate programs pay students to pursue their master’s or Ph.D.s. Do not sit idle and try to keep busy. Volunteer work, community service, a higher degree would be a good option if they still don’t know what kind of path they want to take.”
Nursing professor
“In general, I would say always have big dreams. You need to continue your education. Never forget where you came from. Always remember who supported your education. Keep your ethics. Always be ethical and be sensitive to others. Caring and always remember who helped you, who was behind you, and follow your dreams.”
Political science associate
“The nature of my advice will come in three different contexts. For example, professional advice: My professional advice for this year’s graduates includes the idea that this year’s graduates need, if possible, to find a career that they might enjoy. A lot of our majors think that they will enter a career that they will enjoy, which is great. For those who start working and realize that they might not like their job as much as they thought, it’s OK. Find what you like because it will make going to work a lot easier. Life advice: Take it one day at a time. Enjoy life, enjoy your families, enjoy your children if you have any, enjoy mom, dad, sisters, brothers, find hobbies. Do what you love, it will make life amazing. Academic advice: For those majors who are thinking of pursuing graduate degrees, take it one day at a time. Again, focus on your studies but also have some fun hobbies to do because if you try to study, study, study all the time, you will burn out. Overall, my main general advice to the graduates is just enjoy life. Congratulations in a great accomplishment and have a great life.”
Political science lecturer
“Differentiate yourself from others wherever you go. Value yourself. Specializations are a way to value yourself. Whenever you have a job at a private market, you have to differentiate yourself from other people in order to make your employers think you are different. Focus on things that make you distinctive.”
–Compiled by Michelle Espinoza and Lesley Robles
